Internal-combustion engine.



C. E. WOLFHAM.

INTERNAL COMBUSHON ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED mmzs. ms.

1 ,274,226. Patented J uly 31), 12M.

INVENTOR WITNESSES C. E WOLFRAM.

ENTERNAL COMBUSHON ENGRNE.

APPLICATION mso MAR 29. ms

1 ,274,226. Patented July 30, 1918.

2 suzns-suzn 2. 1.9

INVENTOR Clarence E Tlolf'ram WlTNESSES ATTOH NEY CLARENCE E. WOLFRAM, 0F BELLEPLAINE. MINNESOTA.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Specification of Le tters Pat ent.

Patented. July so, 1918.

Application filed March 29, 1916. Serial No. 87,529.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE E. VVoLrnnr, a citizen of the United States, lesiding at llelleplaine. in the county of Scott and State of l u'linnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Internal- (ombustion E1igiues,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to internal combustion engines, and more particularly to internal combustion engines of the four-cycle type.

An object. of the invention is to provide in an explosive engine what I shall hereinafter term a piston head, said piston head being movable intermittently within the engine cylinder to insure at the required moment a complete, proper, and. full exhaust.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved mechanism whereby movement of said piston head may be timed and controlled.

The above and additional objects are accomplished by such means are illustrated in their preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, described in the following specification and then more particularly pointed out in the claims which are appended hereto and form a part of this application.

In describing my invention in detail reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of my improved internal combustion engine;

Fig. is a similar view illustrating the manner in which the piston head may be moved;

Fig, 3 is a section on the Fig. 2;

line 33 of Fig. l a section on the line l t of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the engine.

Referring now to the drawings by numen als, l designates the engine cylinder. 2 the water jacket, 3 the piston, t the piston rod, 5 the crank shaft. (5 the crank case, 7 the valve operating shaft, and 8 the spark plug, the latter, the sparkplug being carried by and movable with the piston head designated as an entirety by the numeral 9. The parts above referred to, excepting the pistilu head 9, may be modified to an unlimited extent without departing from the spirit of the invention, since said parts are shown only as an instance of one embodiment of the invention.

The piston head 9, as illustrated to advantage in Figs. 1 and 2, is of a cylindrical or sleeve-like formation, the-inner end afi'ordlug an operating space for the piston 3. The outer or opposite end of the piston head from that aboveret'erred to is closed as indicated at 10, except for an opening 11 of a size permitting the lead wires for the spark plug 8 to pass therethrough.

Spaced partitions 12 and 13 are formed interiorly of the piston head 9, the latter, the partition 13, forming one of the defining walls of the explosion chamber of the engine. An intake valve and an exhaust valve of the spring actuated type are provided, the valves being designated, respectively, 14 and 15. Each of said valves is controlled in its movement by means of suitable valve -operating mechanism, the valve operating mechanism for the intake valve being designated 16 and the valve operating mechanism for the exhaust valve 17. The mechanisms 16 and 17 are directly associated with the valve operating shaft 7 in turn controlled in its movement, by any suit able means, through operation of the crank shaft (oming now to a. discussion of the operating mechanism for the piston head 9, 18 designates a rod fastened at one end to said structure 9 and at its opposite end, as indicated at 19, to a rocker-arm 20, the connection 19 being without the cylinder 1. A standard 21 acts as a support tor the rockerarm 20. Said arm'20 at its outer end is connected as iiu'licated at 22 with a rod 23, the rod, as illustrated, having a pivotal connection as indicated at 24 with a rod section 25 designed to penetrate the crank case 6. St id rod section 25 is equipped with a roller 26 for eoi'iperatiou with a cam structure 27 mounted on the valve operating shaft 7 hereinbefore described. Rotation of the cam 27 u ill cause the rod 23 to be reciproczited and the piston head 9 accordingly moved.

It is desired in practice that the piston head 9 be normally maintained in its uppermost position. To accomplish this, the rod 23 is provided with an adjustable collar 28 which serves as an abutment for a spring 29 arranged to embrace said rod and abut at its opposite end an extension 30 of the cylinder top. A slot (not shown) is formed in the wit: I will assume that the piston 3 has just completed its exhaust stroke, in which event the piston head 9 will have assumed the osition illustrated in Fig. 1. Movement the cam 27 in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figs. 1 and 2 will permit the spring 29 to expand, move rod 23, arm 20, and rod 18, and as a result of such movement, elevate the, piston head 9. During upward move ment of. the iston head 9, the piston 3 will have execute its intake stroke. A compres sion stroke will next follow without move-- ment onthe part of the piston head 9, the said head remaining in its uppermost position until the commencement of the exhaust 'stroke, whereupon its downward movement, counter to the movement of the piston 3, will cause thespent or exhaust gases to be thor: oughly and com letely expelled. In connec tion with the a ove, it is, of course, to be understood that movement of the valves 16 and 17 will be properly timed.

From'the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be noted that a complete exhaust is obtained by simply adding to the now common type of internal combustion engine a reci rocating piston head; that the operation 0 the cam 27 is so timed with respect to the operation of the engine valves as to cause said piston striicture to reciprocate but once, while the piston 3 is com leting its cycle; and that, as a result of t e complete exhaust, more ower without corresponding increase in ne] consumed is obtained.

It will be understood that the above description and accompanying drawings com rehend onl the general and preferred emdiment o my invention and that various minor changes in details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts may 6 made within the scope of the appended claims and Without sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention.

Having thus fully described. my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In an engine, the combination of a cylinder, a piston, a sleeve mounted for sliding movementin said cylinder and adapted to receive said piston, a wall closing the upper end of said sleeve, actuating mechanism operatively connected with said Wall to impart sliding movement to the sleeve, spaced partitions disposed in said sleeve below said wall, outlet and inlet ports formed between said partitions and adapted for registration with the corresponding ports in the cylinder, valves mounted in said partitions and controlling the ports therebctween. and actuating members operatively engaged with said valves.

2. An internal combination engine, C0111- prising an outr-r cylinder closed at its upper end, a sleeve slidable in said cylinder. a wall closing the upper end of said sleeve, a rod connected with said Wall. and extending through the closed end of the cylinder, :1 cushioning spring embracing said rod and disposed between said wall and the closed end of cylinder, a rocking arm pivot-all y sup ported on said cylinder and having one end secured to said rod, an actuating rod secured to the opposite end of said rocker arm, means for actuating said rod, and valves carried by said sleeve to control the inlet and exhaust ports of the cylinder.

3. The combination with an engine cylinder, piston, and cam shaft, of a sleeve slidably mounted in said cylinder and closed at its upper end, spaced partitions formed in said sleeve and having exhaust and inlet ports provided thcrebetween fOJI engagement with similar ports formed in the cylinder, valves mounted in said partitions and controlling the ports therebetween, actuating members cngagcablo with said valves and adapted to be operated to open and close the same at proper intervals, a rod operatively connected with the upper closed end of said sleeve and extending through the closed end of said cylinder, a standard sup ported on said cylinder, a rocker arm havmgthe intermediate portion thereof pivotally secured to said standard and one end thereoi operatively oonnectedwith said rod, an actuating rod connected with the opposite end of said rocker-arm, a roller carried by the lower end of said actuating arm and opcratively engaged with said cam shaft, 3. col lar encircling said actuating rod, and a spring confined between said collar and a portion of the engine cylinder.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CLARENCE E. WOLFRAM. itncsscs:

Fnnn A. VVCLFRAM, A. C. lVoLFnAM. 

